A former Elmwood High School coach will spend 60 days in jail after pleading guilty to contributing to the delinquency of a child
Brady Spanfellner, 26, formerly of Cygnet and currently of Dundee, Michigan, appeared Tuesday in the courtroom of Wood County Common Pleas Judge Matt Reger.
In May, he pleaded guilty to attempted gross sexual imposition, amended from attempted sexual battery; and two counts of contributing to the unruliness or delinquency of a child, both misdemeanors.
Spanfellner’s relationship with the minors facilitated the offenses, said defense attorney Scott Coon.
Spanfellner had been hired by Elmwood as an assistant track coach in March 2021. When he resigned in April 2022 after rumors started circulating, he was co-head coach of the girls track team.
“He’s lost the trust of parents in Elmwood and that has affected him significantly,” Coon said. “He’s going to have to live with that for the rest of his life.”
He accepted the plea bargain so the students would not have to testify at trial, he said.
Spanfellner was indicted in February on 17 charges, including attempted sexual battery, eight counts contributing to the delinquency of a child, five counts illegal distribution of cigarettes or other tobacco, and three counts failure to comply with underage alcohol laws.
One victim did indicate nothing inappropriate happened and that Spanfellner “was a nice person with a big heart,” Coon said.
Wood County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Pamela Gross said after consulting with the victims, the state would recommend a sentence of community control.
She said during Spanfellner’s presentence investigation, he downplayed the text messages he sent the girls and admitted purchasing alcohol for them.
He was Snapchat friends with several of the girls on the track team, and his comments – many referencing their outfits – were inappropriate, she said.
“I don’t think there was any mistake there,” Gross said about a message Spanfellner sent a girl requesting sex then backpedaling and saying it was intended for someone else.
“I believe the defendant is completely downplaying his intentions with these text and interactions with these girls,” Gross said.
“I know that the stuff I sent, I did not mean ill will,” Spanfellner said. “I regret and apologize for sending those messages.”
Reger placed Spanfellner on five years of community control and told him he was to have no contact with anyone at Elmwood Local Schools.
He imposed a 60-day jail term for each of the misdemeanor charges, to be served concurrently.
As part of the plea, Spanfellner has given up his teaching license.
He will have to register as a Tier I sex offender, which will require him to register every 12 months over a period of 15 years.
